Shrines have always been a part of The Legend of Zelda in one way or another, from a hidden area in Majora’s Mask to the numerous amounts of structures in Breath of the Wild. But now, these locations can be finished in an entirely new way with Link’s various abilities, making each player’s experience different from the last.
Then, there’s the TikToker phaleur, who has purposefully gone out of their way to fulfill every shrine the “wrong” way, as they proceed to do the complete opposite of what is instructed. You can see a perfect example of this in a recent video, where they avoid constructing bridges in the Joju-u-u Shrine, despite the challenge being titled: “Building Bridges.”
While it may seem almost impossible to complete such a feat, phaleur could still pull it off using Recall, Ascend, and their wits alone.
Even the Proving Grounds challenges don’t stand a chance against the player’s innovative plans, in which they attempt to get across without defeating a single enemy. However, since these rounds require you to eliminate each opponent to open the door, they instead ignored all the equipment provided and utilized their hands alone, with the last boss being pushed into the water.
Of course, there’s no right or wrong way to complete these shrines, but phaleur somehow makes it feel erroneous, considering how they actively steer clear of what was intended for each shrine. Yet, other players have praised them for their efforts and even noted that their maneuvers are actually much easier and faster in some cases.
So, if you want to increase the challenge of these shrines, maybe it’s time to achieve these areas the “wrong” way, and you may discover alternative options that make them more accessible.
